They must have been.

THIS!!!

It's really pathetic how SMALL some stalls are. I especially hate when they're small... and then they put the toilet paper dispenser at the same level of the toliet. NO ROOM! Who designs these things!

We have decided that it is men......extremely skinny men.

Its no different in England. Abnormally small stalls and weird door construction so you feel like you have to try and be a contortionist to get out.

That's funny! I was just thinking about this the other day. Why can't the stupid doors open out?? It makes no sense!

And this will be why I hear so many complaints from other disabled people that they can't get to the disabled toilet because someone currently able-bodied has pinched it.

I am surprised at how many of you , who don't need to, use the handicapped stall.

PS if the doors opened OUT, anyone could open it from the outside leaving you exposed to the whole world or at least anyone in the ladies room.

So I understand the necessity of stalls that open inwards... even though I hate the awkwardness of practically having to "climb" out of it (for some reason I always feel like it is so much harder to get out than it was to get in even though that scientifically doesn't make much sense. It especially sucks when I have my three yearold with me too... and I'm a big germaphobe and it completely freaks me out when it is practically invevitable for her to touch something on either our way in or out.... anyway... back to the big practicality of it opening inwards...

SAFETY HAZARD... went to a public restroom a few days ago and almost got knocked out twice by outward swinging doors, lol. I felt my life was in danger in that bathroom, and the first thing I thought about was this post LMAO!

I don't use the handicapped stall, ordinarily. And, to answer the second point, that is why they put locks on the inside of the doors, just like in the handicapped stall.

I can understand luckyme0510's post, though. I wouldn't want to be in danger of the doors hitting me, so I guess that is why they do it.

Sorry ladies, but I have to use the handicap stall due to physical limitations and I get really ticked when able-bodied people use them for their convenience. I know not every disabled person has a "visible" disability - but I'd say at least 90% of the time the stall is occupied, it's not by a handicapped person. Remember, there's only one handicap stall generally.

Don't hate me!!

I don't hate you but am surprised how many use the handicapped stall when they don't have a handicap. Do these same people park in the handicapped parking spaces because no one is parked there ?

Just my two cents about the handicapped bathroom thing... didn't realize it was such a big deal. I don't use it because the toilet is usually taller than in the regular stalls, and I hover, the taller the toilet the harder it is if you get my drift. The few times I actually have used it I never feel like I am doing something wrong (definitely not like I would feel if I parked in a handicapped spot) mostly because the only thing that the stall offers is more space, which you would only really need if your handicap involved you using a wheelchair... and I can honestly say in my 23 years of life I have never run into someone in a wheelchair in the restroom.

Great thread!

Now, hang onto your hats, because I have a BR story for you.

Back in the 90's my hub was making a regular trucking run, hauling railroad cars by semi, from a train wreck site to a car repair shop. I was driving escort pick up. We were running from Walsenburg, CO. to Amarrillo, TX, then through Dumas, TX, down Raton, NM pass and back into Walsenburg.

It is God's forever from Dumas to Raton. On one trip we finally got to Raton and had to stop at the weigh station and I had to pee like no other. I bailed out of my S10 escort truck and ran into the weigh station and INTO the WOMEN'S restroom.

The shortest stall ever. After I got myself plunked on the john, my knees were hitting the door. But, it was clean and had plenty of TP, so I'm happy.

This was also a 2 stall john. The next thing I know, the weigh station officer is banging on the outer door and then comes in and says, "THIS IS THE LADIES RESTROOM".

Well, duh! I cracked open the stall door, stuck my head out and said, "THE LAST TIME I LOOKED I WAS A LADY!"

Slammed the stall door shut and happily finished my business.

Embarrassed the poor man to death. He apologized all over himself, and let the guys out of a ticket. It seems, that it was a time when women truck drivers were becoming more common and he was having issues with men thinking the womens was just as good as the mens.

He was so worried I would sue over his barging in, I know it was not funny to him, but it still cracks me up. THE DAY I ALMOST GOT KICKED OUT OF THE LADIES RESTROOM!

I always use the handicapped stall when it's available (but I rarely use public restrooms anyway because I'm an extreme germaphobe).

As long as there isn't a handicapped person waiting to use the handicapped stall, I don't see anything wrong with using it. Personally, I don't think the stall is "handicapped only", I think it's "handicapped accessible"...there's a difference.

Personally, I hate small stalls and in-swinging doors (even though I understand it) but more than that I hate over sensitive auto-flushers that flush while I'm still hovering! ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! Now if you add the auto-flusher to a small stall that I can't run out of, it's like my worst nightmare. :P

I never thought about it that way, but good point!